Eleanor Clarke Slagle: Mother of Occupational Therapy is about an inspirational leader who lived during the Progressive Era, a time when women were just starting to become advocates for social and political reforms. Like other women during this era, she worked to improve the quality of life for people with mental and physical disabilities through the therapeutic use of occupation. Her groundbreaking efforts changed the course of health care and have improved the quality of life for countless lives since then.
A founder of the American Occupational Therapy Association in 1917, for the next 20 years she served as an officer of the new organization and an ambassador to spread the word of occupational therapy around the world. As Director of Occupational Therapy for the New York State Department of Mental Hygiene, she developed an internationally renowned occupational therapy program that served as a model for similar organizations. In recognition of her efforts, the American Occupational Therapy Association established the prestigious Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship award in her honor.
